Hobbymat BFE65 Milling machine

[paul mcquaidParticipant @paulmcquaid48093]

Hi.

Can anyone out there tell me if there is a You tube video available or similar, on how to use a Hobby mat BFE65 Milling Machine? Or even a manual on setup as I can't work out how to stop the drill head from turning when I try to mill anything?

I have tightened all the pinch bolts as tight as I dare without breaking them but it refuses to stop moving. On very light work I just try to hold the dam thing still with me pulling it back as I slowly try and cut something, Which isn't ideal.

Any Info would be greatly appreciated.

[paul mcquaidParticipant @paulmcquaid48093]

[Roger WoollettParticipant @rogerwoollett53105]

I assume you have locked the head with the two handles at the back. You do not say how much the movement is but I have found that the head does move left/right under slight pressure. Although the column looks substantial I think it must be twisting. When milling I try to use the X (left/rigjt) movement rather than y (front/back).

[BizibilderParticipant @bizibilder]

Have you checked to make sure there is nothing in the slot preventing the pinch bolts from working? A bit of swarf or scrap of metal maybe? You may thing you have tightened it but maybe just trapping the foreign object?

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the forum, is this the manual you are looking for?

Thor

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

This sounds like the problem on all round column mills. You have to take very light cuts or work at right angles to the bed.

[Steven CorstonParticipant @stevencorston14096]

There are three allen screws on the base at the bottom of the column. The top and the bottom ones are the clamping screws. Make sure that the centre screw is loose as its job is to open the slot and so limit the clamping force of the other two screws. I have removed the centre screw completely and have had no problem at all with the head moving in 40 ish years of use.

Hope this helps,

Steve

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

This sounds like the problem on all round column mills. You have to take very light cuts or work at right angles to the bed.

Page 34 of the manual Thor linked to shows that there is a full length key mounted to the column that constrains the head casting, which has an "adjusting gib" and a "clamping gib". Difficult to see how the head could swivel on the column with that arrangement, so is the column rotating in the base due to inadequate clamping here ?

Nigel B.

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

This sounds like the problem on all round column mills. You have to take very light cuts or work at right angles to the bed.

Page 34 of the manual Thor linked to shows that there is a full length key mounted to the column that constrains the head casting, which has an "adjusting gib" and a "clamping gib". Difficult to see how the head could swivel on the column with that arrangement, so is the column rotating in the base due to inadequate clamping here ?

Nigel B.

[DiogenesIIParticipant @diogenesii]

Posted by Steven Corston on 03/03/2023 12:36:22:

There are three allen screws on the base at the bottom of the column. The top and the bottom ones are the clamping screws. Make sure that the centre screw is loose as its job is to open the slot and so limit the clamping force of the other two screws. I have removed the centre screw completely and have had no problem at all with the head moving in 40 ish years of use.

Hope this helps,

Steve

This. absolutely.

You could try Lathes.co.uk for a manual, or there used to be a guy on Ebay who had some.

Edited By DiogenesII on 03/03/2023 13:12:43

[DiogenesIIParticipant @diogenesii]

I'm back from work.

The 'stand-alone' mill seems to be more often badged as a 'PRAZI' product, and was designated the BF400. It comprised the BFE65 Milling Head and column, mated to the KT160 x 450 Co-ordinate Table.

The cover of my copy is enscribed;

"PRAZI

BF400 – Mill Head

BF500 – Mill Head

KT450 – XY Table

Milling Machine"

It's probably most sensible if I PM you and tell you where I think I got it; the memory is a little treacherous and you'll have to send an enquiry, but at least you now know the name of the document you seek.

[Michael WestParticipant @michaelwest55359]

Paul, a good source of information on the Hobbymat lathe and mill is the group resource at

Prazi-Machining@groups.io

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